Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Girl Who Weighed About the Same as an Apple Believed to be Tiniest Surviving Newborn Ever
A baby girl in San Diego who weighed about the same as an apple at birth is believed to be the world’s tiniest surviving newborn, hospital officials say.
The girl weighed 8.6 ounces (245 grams) when she was born in December just 23 weeks and three days into her mother’s 40-week pregnancy, the Associated Press reported.
After she was born, doctors told her father he had about an hour to be with his daughter before she died.
“But that hour turned into two hours, which turned into a day, which turned into a week,” the mother said in a video released by Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, the AP reported.
Since her birth more than five months ago, the baby has gone home as a healthy infant, weighing 5 pounds (2 kilograms).
The family wanted to remain anonymous but said the baby could be identified by the name nurses gave her, Saybie, the AP reported.
She is the smallest baby every to survive, according to the Tiniest Baby Registry maintained by the University of Iowa.
However, “we cannot rule out even smaller infants who have not been reported to the Registry,” Dr. Edward Bell, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa, said in an email to the AP.
Saybie officially weighed 7 grams less than the previous tiniest baby, who was born in Germany in 2015, according to the hospital.
—–
FDA Approves First Test for Zika in Human Blood
The first test to detect the Zika virus in human blood has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The test is called the ZIKV Detect 2.0 IgM Capture ELISA and is made by Seattle-based InBios, which makes tests for other viruses such as West Nile and dengue, CBS News reported.
Until now, the only FDA-approved tests for Zika were to detect virus antibodies and were only for emergency use.
Zika infection during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects, including abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. The mosquito-borne virus can also cause a nervous system disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Zika “continues to be a problem in many parts of the world,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no vaccine to prevent Zika infection or medicine to treat it.
In the United States, CDC data show that the majority of the 5,600 cases of Zika in 2016 and 2017 occurred in people who traveled to affected areas, but there were 339 mosquito-born infections in Florida and Texas, CBS News reported.
—–
Ariana Grande Postpones Shows Due to Tomato Allergy
Pop singer Ariana Grande postponed two shows in Florida this week due to a tomato allergy.
“Tampa and Orlando, I woke up incredibly sick today, ran to the doctor here and have been told to postpone these shows tonight and tomorrow,” Grande, 25, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon, People reported. “I’m so beyond devastated.”
On Wednesday, she said her illness was actually a tomato allergy.
“Update: we discovered .. that .. i had an unfortunate allergic reaction to tomatoes and my throat pretty much closed. still feels like i’m swallowing a cactus but slowly making progress! thank u all for your love and understanding. can’t wait to get back to performing and to make it up to Tampa and Orlando in November.”
—–
Some CBD Oils, Marijuana-Derived Drug Now Allowed on Flights: TSA
Airline passengers will now be allowed to travel with some forms of CBD oil and an epilepsy drug derived from marijuana, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration says.
Previously, all forms of marijuana were prohibited in carry-on bags and checked luggage, the Associated Press reported.
The policy change applies to the marijuana-derived drug Epidiolex, which is used to treat epilepsy in children, and CBD oil “as long as it is produced within the regulations defined by the (2018) law,” that legalized hemp and hemp derivatives, the TSA says.
Hemp-derived CBD is low in or has no THC, the chemical in marijuana that gives users a high, the AP reported.
Other forms of marijuana, including CBD oils that have THC and cannabis-infused products that are still illegal under federal law, remain banned under the TSA’s new rules.
Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Comments